1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a transportable water treatment system which is capable of providing safe drinking water.
2. Description of the Problem and Related Art
One fifth of all people on earth have no access to safe drinking water. That means more than 1.2 billion people use contaminated water to meet their everyday needs. Contaminated water takes a terrible toll. Each day 25,000 people die from cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other diseases caused by micro-organisms in the water they drink. On a yearly basis the sum is an astonishing 9 million deaths of which more than 3 million are children under the age of five. This water problem does not stand still. The World Health Organization estimates that in the next twenty five years there will be some two billion people without safe drinking water.
In developing countries waterborne diseases often present the greatest risk to human health. Water supplies may be biologically contaminated by sewage effluents that mix with floodwaters, or physically contaminated with soil and mud that enter the water supply and hinder disinfection efforts. Further, harmful chemicals (e.g., nitrates and pesticides) are also typically found in flood water under such conditions, in addition to waterborne pathogens. Yet this is not limited to only third world countries, in the developed world water supplies may be compromised by natural disaster.
Contaminated water can have two components which are referred to as a biological load and a physical load. Biological load of the water is a reference to the level of biological contaminants in the water. The physical load of the water refers to the total level of suspended solids, dissolved solids, organic carbon, and turbidity in the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,884 to Gadgil, discusses a portable water treatment system, but this unit treats the water with UV radiation which requires an additional power source and uses disposable filter cartridges which increase the overall cost of operation.
Duveau U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,551 teaches a system to physically treat contaminated water where part of the system in unpressurized. This system uses two separator means and a fine filter as part of its filtration system. In this reference it is unclear what is used for the second separator means.
Brucker U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,869 teaches a large scale waste water treatment system using a physical and chemical treatment system.
Busch Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,107 teaches a treatment system for hazardous waste water.
Nagaoka U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,842 teaches an improved filtering device to treat water.
What is needed is a water treatment system which is economical to operate, has minimal power requirements and is truly transportable, which can be carried in a small truck to remote sights.